


prayer and sacrifice.

by DictionaryWrites



Category: Marvel
Genre: Crying, Hurt/Comfort, Miscommunication, Self-Esteem Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-03
Updated: 2018-08-03
Packaged: 2019-06-21 05:59:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15551181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DictionaryWrites/pseuds/DictionaryWrites
Summary: Thor's comforting words do not always land as they are intended.





	prayer and sacrifice.

Loki is curled up into a very small ball on the edge of his bed when Thor enters his quarters, having beseeched Jarvis to open the door for him. Loki had shocked when he had seen Father, had stepped toward him unthinkingly, but the response…

“He would have killed me, you know,” Loki mutters, quietly. “Supposedly his son, and he would have killed me in half a heartbeat.” Thor hears him gag, but it doesn’t reach his mouth. Loki sits up on the bed, and Thor looks at his pasty features, at his trembling hands. 

“If anyone is gonna kill you, brother,” Thor murmurs, reaching out and putting his hand on the side of Loki’s jaw, feeling the cool flesh beneath his palm, “it will be me. Understand?” His voice is low and encouraging, full to the brim with as much warmth as he can pack into the light, teasing words.

Loki looks at him with disgust, and sharp spines form beneath Thor’s hand, leaving him grunting out a sound of pain and rapidly retracting his hand. “You think that comforts me? You think I want my  _brother_  to kill me, and that will soothe me when my father will not?”

“ _Loki_ ,” Thor says, but Loki’s eyes are wild, and already he is stalking across the room, grabbing up a case and throwing it open. “Loki, what are you doing?”

“I am going,” Loki says harshly. “There is naught for me on this planet.” 

“Loki, you are being ridiculous - it was a joke! I would never–”

“No, no!” Loki snaps, and Thor stiffens as a burst of seidr comes off Loki like a wave, rattling the windows and sending some of Loki’s possessions clattering from their shelves. “No, because it  _isn’t_  a joke, Thor. One day, you will kill me. Do you understand that? Do you realise? One day, I will go too far, and you will kill me…” Loki heaves in an ugly breath, and Thor sees the tears in his eyes. “And do you know, Thor? It will hurt me. You will  _say_  it will hurt you more than me… but it will not.”

“I wouldn’t,” Thor whispers. “I will not ever–”

“You will,” Loki retorts. “You will, and your friends, your compatriots, even Father, even the Warriors Three, and Sif… They will all commend you for it. No one could care  _less_  for me than already they do. Me, the monster, the horror, the–” Thor grabs hold of him, and squeezes Loki against his chest. Loki lets out an awful sound, horrific and ragged and ripped from his throat, and Thor holds him all the tighter as he sobs.

“I won’t,” Thor promises, holding Loki tightly. “I won’t brother, no matter what you do.”

Loki sobs all the harder, sobs,  _sobs_ –

And Thor prays that future circumstances do not make of him a liar. 

**Author's Note:**

> [Hit me up](http://dictionarywrites.tumblr.com/faq). Requests always open.


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